Star Dragon Allegiance
by Thais of the Star
Summary: Quick Oneshot in Movieverse. Even though she leads her kin, good dragons, to aid the Rohirim at Helm's Deep, Roeia's people will never truly be accepted. Still she and her folk risk all to honor an aliance with an elf who came with Haldir.


_Disclaimer_: I don't own anything/anyone from Middle Earth. I do own the three named characters in this story and anything else not from the original works of Tolkien.

Star Dragon Allegiance

Battle approached. The heavy tramp of the Uruk-Hai echoed across the distance between them and Helm's Deep; the only other sounds were people shifting position uncomfortably as the awaited what they knew was all too likely to be their doom.

At the battlements Roeia shifted in her armor and look up to the skies. Unlike the elves who had come to air the people of Rohan in this battle she did so not for solace from the cloud-blocked stars, but for her people aloft, high in those dark shrouds. Slowly a tiny smile spread across her face as the lines of orcs stopped and all was silent again. Theoden did not stand alone in this; no indeed. Far from it.

As the rains began she threw back her head and grinned up at the dark skies, letting the water soak her face and hair thoroughly. Beside her the Rohiric soldiers looked at her quizzically, frowning, wondering why this elven archer (which was who she had made herself appear as) was smiling when all the rest of the defenders of Rohan were silent and grim-faced in the sudden downpour.

When every person able to hold a bow drew an arrow, Roeia put her hand back to grasp one particular arrow out of her quiver. Instead of aiming at the Uruk-Hai she pointed straight up at the skies. Men and elves expressed their surprise at this action, but she ignored them and fired the single signal arrow up into the air. She leapt to the top of the wall and gazed up at the shrouded heavens. A hole opened in the cloud cover through the rain, through which a patch of brilliant stars shone, brighter than a full moon.

Roeia smiled dangerously sweetly at the men who ordered her to get down, to stand and fight. "Why stand?" she asked them, letting her false elven form fall away. "When you can fly?" The dragon leapt from the battlements of Helm's Deep, into the air as her kin swooped down from that shining break in the skies. Time stood still as the dragons pulled off and formed up into a line, wingtip to wingtip above the outer edge of the Keep. Roeia, scales like pure pearls, beat the air with vast, snow-white wings as she took her place at the fore.

Below, men and elves alike scrambled for arrows, cloaks and hair flapping in the whirlwind from the dragons' wings. Silver, white, pale gray, icy blue; all the dragons roared their defiance. "Unfurl our allegiance," Roeia growled, swooping closer to the battlements. She pulled up close to the wall and hovered as she heard the snap of cloth and surprised gasps of the earthbound ones. Golden eyes flashed as she knew what the Rohirim and elves saw. Her warriors had brought three standards: the horse of Rohan, the star of the elves and their own device, an icy blue background with two golden crescent moons, points turned in, touching. Between them, in the plain white space a silver flower with five petals, each full and large, had a black center with an oil-like sheen.

"We come as the elves do, to honor allegiances." The speaker was the largest dragon of the group, blue-gray scaled, with darker blue wings. He dove lower, twisting up at the last moment so abruptly that the people closest ducked and flinched. "Ours was made long ago, and was not between nations." Roeia smiled, remembering who it was with.

"Come forward, my friend," she called, gazing down at the people before her, "if you still remember Roeia– Roeia of the stars." She laughed gleefully, gaily turning a summersault, remembering how she had given her name to a young man she had met only once before. "Come out, Liorandorlin!" Several of the elven archers seemed surprised. One of their number stepped forward and leaned on his forearm on the wall.

"Roeia," he told her playfully, "I think you overdid it a little bit."

"Not at all, Liotandorlin," she told him. "But ah, alas, we must interrupt out happy reunion," she said. "I forgot the reason for my coming." She turned away and sped up into the ranks of her people. "Nice to talk to you but I'm afraid it will just have to wait until the battle's over."

Vior, the blue dragon at her side roared a challenge, and the dragons charged to battle. Strength and purpose renewed with new hope the archers began firing with new vigor. The Uruk-Hai attacked. Stooping low over the ranks of orcs, Roeia raked her tail over them, killing and wounding a good number. She did so again and again, feeling her kinfolk with her.

The stars shone down through the clouds as the wind shredded them. Spreading her wings Roeia beat them down again, driving herself higher into the sky. The translucent skin of her pale wings was shone through with starlight, turning it to silken moonbeams; the glow silhouetted her body as she dove again.

Beneath her battle fever, her mind was working. Unfortunately, even after this it would be unlikely the elves or Rohirim would trust her or her people; it was too long and too deeply engraved in their minds that dragons couldn't be trusted, were evil. Her people had hidden from dark forces rather than be turned into tools of the dark all those millennia ago, telling none of their whereabouts.

Now they came to fight with the light once more. Uruk-Hai blood would be spilt this night, had been spilt this night, was, right now, by her being spilt over the earth of Rohan. Tomorrow or the next day was nothing; right now was what mattered. For now, elf, man and dragon were united in battle. Only the now mattered. It mattered little to Roeia that she and her folk could very well be killed later by the very people they had come to risk their lives to protect.

For now, the alliance was as strong as the tide of battle. Again Roeia dove. Whatever happened, right now, she, Roeia, dragon of the stars and night, was alive.

The stars shone on.


End file.
